Garden Tours

We welcome individuals and groups to come and visit the beautiful Festina Lente Victorian Walled Gardens.

We can facilitate large groups for an interesting tour around the gardens covering everything from the plants on the Herbaceous Border or our Sensory Trails to the history behind the Victorian Walled Gardens.

We often have different groups of people ranging from school tours to day trips for active retired associations and of course Horticultural groups and gardening clubs.

We offer wooden chalets for space to eat at lunchtime and if the sun is shining, you are welcome to sit outside in our open air snackbar in the beautiful gardens and enjoy the surrounds.

Your Tour of Festina Lente’s Victorian Walled Garden

Your Tour Guide will take you around the “Walled Garden” which has been restored to match many of the features and layouts from when the Plunket Family owned the Estate back circa 1780. The walls around the Festina Lente garden are the original walls from 1780’s. Some additional features have been added by Festina Lente over the years and plants are regularly updated.

Tours are only €3 per person and we have free parking.

You will see:

• During the tour, your guide will give you a historical background of the walled garden and its features.
• Feature Water Fountain
• Perfumed Climbing Roses and hundreds of other beautiful plants
• A Sensory Integration Trail recently created on the south and north facing walls with water feature
• Rolling lawns
• Pool Gardens, now a sanctuary for terrapins
• Plant Nursery; here you will see where we grow hundreds of plants that are propagated and then planted in our seasonal flower borders throughout the year
• Walk along a truly colourful herbaceous border that surround the large number of Community Garden Allotments.
• Your guide will also give you background details as to the work that has been carried out to date by Festina Lente and what we hope to achieve in the future

You can also sit back and relax in our Gardens, enjoy light snacks from our snackbar – tea, coffee, cold drinks, snacks, etc. Food such as baked goods like cakes must be preordered with us.

Additional Tour Options

Why not add an extra dimension to your day out, choose one of three workshops for your tour group. Cost: €10.00 including tour.

• Kitchen Gardening: An informative Workshop showing you how to plant and cultivate a kitchen garden with practical demonstrations and plants to bring home.

• Plant Workshop: Learn to choose plants that will create an interesting garden all year round. Learn to propagate from cuttings. Plant material to take home will be included.

• Soap Making Workshop: Learn how to make your own soap using organic ingredients and scented with essential oils and herbs

If you are interested in booking a tour of Festina Lente please contact us below to organise a date and time for your group, and we will endeavour to make your experience a memorable one.

Book a Tour

Testimonials

Mount Merrion Walkers

“On behalf of the group I would like to express our gratitude to you, and especially Patrick who very generously told us the history of the gardens and the good work you do there. We were so impressed and thoroughly enjoyed our time on the grounds. We very definitely will spread the word and make many visits in the coming year. In appreciation”

Waterford Regional Garden Club

I, on behalf of Waterford Regional Garden Club members, would like to thank you and your team for the delightful visit that we had to Festina Lente recently. You were all so welcoming, Patrick gave us a very informative & comprehensive tour of the wonderful gardens and the lunch was superb. May I wish you great success in the future and I will certainly pass on your leaflets to others.